Mayor Joe Denoyer, left, and Seward County Commission Chairman Shannon Francis visit during a reception Friday for Francis, who was defeated in the November election by challenger Jim Rice for the District Five commission seat.

By ROBERT PIERCE• Daily Leader

Shannon Francis has been serving the citizens of Seward County as a commissioner for the better part of a decade, and Friday, many people from across the community came to pay their respects to the chairman at a reception in the Seward County Administration Building.Francis was defeated in the November election by challenger Jim Rice for the District 5 seat.Looking back on his eight years as a commissioner, Francis said he has enjoyed the time and opportunity he has to serve the residents of Seward County.“I’ve really been glad with some of the things we’ve accomplished,” he said. “I think we’ve done a lot of things to make the work force and the administration at the county more professional and more efficient for the citizens of this community.”Francis said he believes the commission has also done a lot of things to help those in the community that need help the most through the establishment of programs such as Women, Infants and Children at the Seward County Health Department, a program that was implemented with no cost to the taxpayers, and the enactment of a crime task force.“It’s been a great eight years, I’ve really been glad to serve,” he said.Francis said what he will miss least about his job as a commissioner is the meeting requirements.“You kind of have to build your life around those,” he said. “It really constrains what you can do. I think the thing I’m going to miss the most is the leadership role that it enables you to have to try to make the community better.”Francis had some advice for the current commission as it moves into the next term.“I think as they go forward, you always have to remember that your local government is a service organization,” he said. “We’re here to serve the people. You can’t fall victim to serving just small special interest groups that speak the loudest. You have to make your decisions based upon what’s good for the overall community rather than small segments of it.”There are also some issues Francis would like the commission to focus on in the near future.“Hopefully, we’ve started some initiatives in the crime task force area, and I hope that they’ll stick with that emphasis,” he said. “I think we have a real opportunity to make the community better. I think the people in the law enforcement area feel like they had an opportunity to make some positive changes.”Francis added the board should naturally be concerned about the current national economic climate.“That’s something that hadn’t taken effect until right towards the end of my term,” he said.Francis said, though, above all else, he hopes commissioners are not afraid to dream.“I hope they’re not afraid to take chances,” he said. “It’s not bad to do new things, but once you decide to do something new, you really have to focus on the way that it’s implemented. There’s a lot of good ideas out there, but if they’re not implemented correctly, they don’t work out.”Francis said a future run at the county commission is not out of the question, but for now, he does not foresee it.“Right now, I’m just going to enjoy life and enjoy my family and take a breather,” he said. “I don’t know what the future holds for me.”

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The High Plains Daily Leader and Southwest Daily Times are published Sunday through Friday and reaches homes throughout the Liberal, Kansas retail trade zone. The Leader & Times is the official newspaper of Seward County, USD No. 480, USD No. 483 and the cities of Liberal and Kismet. The Leader & Times is a member of the Liberal Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas Press Association and the Associated Press.

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